In the latest round of financial cuts expected to affect the higher education sector, the government is proposing  measures which some sources say may reduce funding to universities by 20%.

Senior civil servants have been tasked with drawing up plans for reducing expenidure on public spending across Whitehall by up to one fifth. Despite assurances by the government that spending in higher education will rise, university staff fear that their funding will suffer.

 If this is the case, the result could be widespread closures of university departments and the loss of 5,000 university posts. As many as 30 at risk universities could face complete closure as they spiral towards financial meltdown.

This is a familiar story. We are already in a situation where the number of applicants for university places has risen as a result of the recession. Universities cannot cope with the number of applicants seeking places. The closure of complete departments and entire institutions coupled with a reduction in the number of staff will reduce their student capacity still further.

One of the measures being considered to address this latest financial threat is higher tuition fees. The other is the increased recruitment of international students who contribute the full cost of tuition to the hosting institution and therefore constitute an attractive market for cash strapped universities.

Both measures will result in a further restriction on university places in the UK as the cost of study precludes many and increased applications – from whatever source – makes places even more scarce.

The Interactive Design institute provides a viable alternative through web based provision. We are in the process of extending the number of places available to prospective students and are recruiting now for our February starts in our Foundation Diploma and our Graphic Design, Illustration and Interior and Spatial Design degrees.